Sonal Dinusha stayed unbeaten on 85 as Sri Lanka reached 265-8 against India on Tuesday in Colombo, leaving the home side 238 runs behind at stumps and still staring at the follow-on threat. Rain and bad light ended play early on the third day before Sri Lanka could do more to close the gap.
The innings gave Sri Lanka a stubborn reply to India's first-innings 503-9 declared, and Dinusha was the man carrying most of the load. He struck two sixes and six fours in an innings that followed the 100 and 84 he made in the opening Test in Galle, while Pasindu Sooriyabandara added 80 and Lahiru Kumara was unbeaten on eight when play stopped.
India had already put Sri Lanka under pressure by declaring on 503-9, and the tourists kept control even as the Sri Lankans fought through the day. Prasidh Krishna took 3-47, Manav Suthar finished with 3-83, and the wickets included Dhananjaya de Silva for eight, Niroshan Dickwella for nought and Keshara Nuwantha for 18.
That resistance still left Sri Lanka short of safety. Dinusha's 85 showed he could again shape the match, but he had no partner left to turn the innings into something bigger after rain cut the day short. The simple arithmetic mattered most: Sri Lanka had avoided collapse, but they still had 238 runs to make up and the follow-on remained in play when the match stopped for the day.
What comes next is clear enough. Sri Lanka must add enough to erase the deficit, and Dinusha will walk back out carrying the hope that he can turn an unbeaten 85 into the innings that finally takes the pressure off his side.
